Inula Flower

(Collected Explanations) Collect the flowers over a period of several days. Remove the stems, the husks, and any stray wood. To prepare them for medicinal use: Steam the flowers from the hour of the Snake the hour of the Snake: 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM until the hour of the Horse the hour of the Horse: 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Hang them up to dry before use.

Nature and Flavor

Salty, warm, and slightly toxic. The Bielu original: "Mingyi Bielu," an ancient pharmacological text states: Sweet, slightly warm, cooling, and aids flow. [Lei] Nan says: Sweet and non-toxic. Daming says: Non-toxic. [Kou] Zongshi says: Pungent and bitter; pungent.

Main Indications

Resolves stagnant Qi Qi: the vital energy or "breath" of the body, fullness beneath the ribs, and palpitations caused by fright; eliminates excess water, clears cold and heat between the five internal organs, tonifies the center, and descends Qi. (From the Benjing original: "Shennong Bencao Jing," the foundational Classic of Materia Medica) Treats phlegm accumulation in the chest where saliva is as thick as glue or lacquer, fluid accumulation in the heart and flanks, lingering fluids in the bladder, wind-damp numbness, withered skin and flesh, and discharge in the eyes; it benefits the large intestine, clears the blood vessels, and improves the complexion. (From the Bielu) Primarily treats edema, expels abdominal swelling, opens the stomach, stops vomiting and hiccups, and treats the inability to keep food down. (According to Zhen Quan) Dissolves phlegm and water, and eliminates "wind" affecting the head and eyes. It also treats coughing with rebellious Qi and sensations of fullness or blockage. (According to Daming) Heals edema, dry belching, and the inability to eat. (According to Su Song)

Elucidations

(Kou Zongshi says) Inula flower original: "Xuanfuhua," likely Inula japonica moves water and descends Qi. Zhang Zhongjing a famous Han dynasty physician treated cases of "fullness below the heart" and persistent belching after sweating or purging in cold-damage disorders with "Inula and Red Ochre Decoction." This herb is used frequently in various miscellaneous formulas.
(Cheng Wu-yi says) When the Qi is hardened, it becomes stagnant. Therefore, use this to soften and resolve the hardness of stagnant masses.
(Zhu Zhenheng says) Kou Zongshi mentioned its ability to move phlegm and water; it is also a medicine that disperses "wind" from the head and eyes. Patients suffering from deficiency should not take it in large quantities, as it cools and clears the large intestine.
(Li Shizhen says) Furthermore, Inula acts on the Lung channel of Hand-Taiyin and the Large Intestine channel of Hand-Yangming. In treating various diseases, its efficacy lies solely in its power to move water, descend Qi, and clear the blood vessels. Li Weigong said that the flowers can damage the eyes. Tang Shenwei's Bencao mistakenly included the root's functions under the flower's entry; I have now corrected this.

Supplementary Formulas (1 new, 3 from existing records)

For Wind-Damp Numbness: Clean the Inula flowers. Roast and grind them. Mix with refined honey to form pills the size of a parasol tree seed. Before bed, take five to seven, or nine to ten pills with tea. From the Collection of Proven Formulas.

For Postpartum Depletion: When deficiency and cold conflict, and the pulse is wiry. For the decoction, use three taels of Inula flower, fourteen stalks of green onion, and a small amount of "new crimson" likely dyed silk or a specific mineral pigment. Boil in three pints of water until one pint remains. Drink all at once. From the Jinkui Yaolue Essential Prescriptions from the Golden Cabinet.

For Ear Sores and Ringworm: Burn Inula flowers and grind them, then mix with sheep fat. For children whose eyebrows or eyelashes do not grow back due to ringworm, melt wild oil and fry Inula and mustard flowers in it, then apply to the skin. From Jiao Jian's Formulas.

For Boils and Toxic Swelling: Use the sprouts of "Heavenly Hemp" Tianma and Saposhnikovia Fangfeng in equal parts. Grind into a powder. Clean the area and apply the powder mixed with oil. From the Comprehensive Treatise on Pediatrics.

Leaf Main Indications: For treating metal wounds wounds from blades and stopping bleeding. According to Daming. Treats boils and toxic swelling. According to Shizhen.

Root Main Indications: Wind-dampness. From the Bielu.

Celosia Seed (From the Benjing, Top Grade)

Explanation of Names

Grass Wormwood, Cockscomb Seed, Sack Herb, Grass Jue Ming original: "Cao Jueming," often confused with Cassia seeds

Collected Explanations

(Su Song says) The names are similar, but why? Its seeds brighten the eyes, sharing the same efficacy as Cassia seed Juemingzi, hence the name "Grass Jueming." Furthermore, the Bielu says Celosia grows by roadsides in flat valleys. Collect the stems and leaves in the third month and dry them in the sun; collect the seeds in the fifth and sixth months. The seeds look like those of the Ginger Lily. The tender sprouts resemble the Cockscomb and Amaranth, hence it is called "Cockscomb Amaranth." The Tongzhi states the common name is "Ox-tail Wormwood," which is correct.
(Su Song says) It is found everywhere. It resembles a wheat spike flower with very fine seeds. There is another "Grass Wormwood" Caohao or "Grass Hall" herb which has very similar therapeutic properties. Their forms and names are so similar it causes doubt, but they are actually two different species. This herb grows over a man’s height, with soft, thin leaves and purple-white flowers. The fruit is a pod with black, flat seeds, even more like Amaranth seeds but larger. It grows in low, damp ground. In the fourth and fifth months, herbalists call it "Amaranth Wormwood." (Su Song continues) Today it is found in the Jiang-Huai regions. In the second month, it produces green sprouts, growing three to four feet tall. The leaves resemble willow but are softer. The stem is like wormwood, bluish-red. Flowers bloom in the sixth and seventh months, red at the top and white at the bottom. The seeds are black, shiny, and flat like Amaranth seeds. The root resembles wormwood root, white and growing as a single straight stalk. Collect the seeds in the sixth and eighth months.
(Li Shizhen says) Celosia original: "Qingxiangzi," Celosia argentea has many names. it grows mostly in fields. Its tender sprouts resemble Amaranth and are edible. When mature, it stands three to four feet tall. The sprouts, leaves, flowers, and fruits are identical to the Cockscomb flower original: "Jiguanhua", with no difference except that Cockscomb flower heads are large and flat or rounded, whereas this herb produces pointed flower spikes at the tip, four to five inches long, shaped like a rabbit's tail. They are pale red (water-red), though some are yellow-white. The seeds are within the spike, identical to Cockscomb seeds.